Lt. Robert J. Beckley's Diary

398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association

**Lt. Robert J. Beckley's Diary**
Navigator, 600th/601st Squadron

Beckley's Mission No. 10

**30 August 1944**
**Target:** **Marshalling Yards, Kiel, Germany**
No. 10. Kiel, August 30, 1944: 8 hours flying time. Bomb load 10, five-hundred pound GP bombs. Because of the solid under cast we dropped our bombs PFF on the marshalling yards of Kiel. The flak barrage put up to us was heavy, but inaccurate. Our ship got back without a hit, but Week’s ship was shot up so that a fire started and two men bailed out before the pilot could warn them that the fire was not serious. The fire was put out and the rest of the crew got back. The two men bailed out near the coast of Denmark, but no further report was heard of them. Addendum to: Lt. Robert J. Beckley's Diary of his Mission #10 to Kiel, Germany Marshalling Yards, 30 August 1944 I have obtained information from Ralph Hall by phone on April 25, 2004 concerning events that occured on this mission that took place almost sixty years ago. I want to clarify any misconceptions that were inadvertenly stated in my diary. Ralph Hall was the tail gunner on the B-17 in question that sustained the flak damage that resulted in a fire that was eventually extinguished. Our crew, pilot Rogers, observed and reported that two crew members had parachuted from Week's aircraft (actually McCarty was the pilot and Week's the copilot). That observation was made during a stressful period and most probably not accurate. I believe this is so because Ralph Hall, the tail gunner on that aircraft, informed me that Darrell Argubright, their navigator was the only member of that crew that jumped. Ralph also reported that Darrell perished in the Baltic Sea. His body washed ashore five weeks later on the island of Alborne and was buried there with military honors in a Danish churchyard. Additional details of this event are reported in an article on the 398th web site entitled "How Our Radio Operator Received a DFC" by Ralph Hall, Tail Gunner in 601st. Robert J. Beckley Editor's Note: The Linn R. Rogers' crew was transferred from the 600th to the 601st on 31 August 1944.

Notes:

Lt. Robert J. Beckley was the Navigator for the Lynn R. Rogers crew.
The above transcription was provided by Ann Collins, daughter of Phillip Collins, Ball Turret Gunner on the 601st Saul Marias Crew.
This transcription is a reproduction of the original. Spelling and punctuation changes have been made to improve readability. In some circumstances, material may not have been transcribed or was rewritten.
Clarification of acronyms or special words or guesses of certain words are shown in brackets [ ].

The above diary entry has been placed on the 398th Bomb Group Memorial Association web site to share our history with a wider audience. You may view, download, print, copy and link to our content as you wish as long as the uses are personal or educational. 398th Bomb Group Memorial Association web page content cannot be used for commercial purposes nor placed on other web sites whether commercial, personal or educational, unless authorized in writing by the 398th Bomb Group Memorial Association Official Board and/or the author.